Plus: why Tottenham will not win the Premier League this season; the 'Magic Man' also believes Manchester City striker Erling Haaland "wouldn’t score 60 goals in League Two"; watch highlights from all the midweek Premier League matches for free on Sky Sports
Wednesday 19 October 2022 21:35, UK
In his latest Sky Sports column, Paul Merson discusses Manchester United's game against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Wednesday night and believes Manchester City striker Erling Haaland would not score 60 goals in League Two.
Tottenham go to Manchester United having made their best start to a league campaign in 59 years and Spurs can go a point behind leaders Arsenal with a win at Old Trafford.
But a victory for Erik ten Hag's side, who sit fifth, will take them level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea.
Meanwhile, the Premier League's top two - Arsenal and Manchester City - are not in domestic action this midweek after their fixture at the Emirates was postponed last month.
Arsenal return to action on Sunday at Southampton, live on Sky Sports, while champions City play the day before in a 3pm kick-off at home to Brighton.
Read on for the Magic Man's thoughts on the game at Old Trafford, why Tottenham will not win the Premier League title this season and why Erling Haaland "wouldn't score 60 goals in League Two"..
I didn't fancy Manchester United against Newcastle, I didn't see them winning that game - but I don't expect them to lose to Tottenham.
I didn't expect them to beat Everton and they did. I like Erik ten Hag, I do. But they're a pundit's nightmare. You don't know what you're going to get.
It's been a massive week for them, you had Newcastle then Tottenham and now they've got Chelsea. These are big games that can set your season alight or put them out really.
The thing with Man United, they are just looking for top-four football. They are not winning the league. They are coming up against two games they cannot afford to lose. If they beat one and lose to the other, they could move further away from a team.
It's about consistency, Man United have found a bit.
If Tottenham win this, they go second in the league and one point behind Arsenal - who I don't think can play any better.
Meanwhile, Spurs have not started. There's 100 per cent more to come from them. (Heung-Min) Son has hardly played! But you have to give them credit for where they are. They haven't hit any kind of form, they've had a few 20 minutes here and there, but they could still be a point behind the leaders. So credit where credit is due.
It's a big game for both teams, if United beat Tottenham you would think they would be moving up. United are seven points behind Spurs with a game in hand, they have to get something in the game.
I think Spurs are too defensive to win the title. I know Chelsea won the league with Conte and it was tight at the back, but don't see Tottenham blowing teams away. And that's a bit of a problem given how they play.
Manchester City will want to win the Champions League and if they are playing Brighton or whoever at 3pm on the Saturday, and they have Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or PSG on the Tuesday in the semi-final, they will care about Europe. They have won the Premier League four out of the last five seasons!
With the World Cup making the season stopping and starting, Haaland will not be playing for six weeks!
He needs the service. Everyone is going on about how great and super he is and how the movement is great and how powerful he is, but if he's not getting the ball on a sixpence, it doesn't matter how good your movement is, he's not getting the ball. He would not score 60 goals in League Two, and I was a manager there with Walsall.
